Banned Books Week Means Read!
Banned Books Week 2014 has arrived!
It’s here again! The time has come to celebrate Banned Books Week, so head on over to the American Library Association and choose a book from the list of banned books. Yes, even you can be subversive!
If you want to read a banned ghost novel (of course you do), here are three that I’ve reviewed and recommend:
Beloved by Toni Morrison. (Yes, a Pulitzer Prize winner can be banned.)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Although not ghost novels, notable books that made this year’s list include Alexie’s The True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Chbosky’s Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Green’s Looking for Alaska.
How about you? What are your favorite banned books?
22 thoughts on “Banned Books Week Means Read!”
Well, by far my faves are the Harry Potter series. What I cannot believe is that people are wasting time banning books when there is so much else going on in the world today.
The Harry Potter books have spent some time on the banned list as well. Banning books is indeed a waste of time. Parents should choose books for their children but not for the children of others.
Banning books is still going on? So sad.
Yes, Sandra, it still happens. Often, though, libraries win against challenged books. Banned Books Week shines a spotlight on their tireless efforts.
I didn’t realize they still banned books either. though I can see where language may be an issue for younger readers
Hi Sandra,
It’s usually at the school district level. Parents or school board members will challenge a book, and then it’s up to the library to fight the challenge. School districts can ban books in their own libraries or prevent teachers from using them in the classroom. The most common reasons are language, sex, violence, and occult. The Harry Potter series made the list because of occult issues. Here’s a link to the statistics if you’re interested: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/statistics. Of course, people are still free to buy the books in question.
Beloved is a great book!
I agree, Jana. Beloved really is a masterpiece. Heart-wrenching though!
With everything going on in the world banning books should be the least of peoples worries.
Yet so many feel the need to regulate morality for others.
No book should ever be banned
Agreed.
I was one of the few who loved Beloved! I also liked The Lovely Bones.
So you are a ghost novel fan. Good! Fortunately enough people liked Beloved to award it the Pulitzer.
I didn’t realizes that there were so many books that I have read that are on the banned list. I really don’t see the reason for any of them to be on this list. I can see some being banned from school libraries due to the mature natural of material. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kathy,
Yes, there are a lot of books on the list. I remember reading an author’s quote (wish I could find it) about how the best books are the banned ones. Obviously, an elementary school library should not have Silence of the Lambs on the shelf, but that’s not the same as banning–just exercising judgment.
I don’t understand the reasoning behind banning books. It should be the readers choice whether they want to read the book or not and not some over zealous person or persons who have nothing better to do.
Agreed, Bobbi. Readers and parents should make these decisions based on individual situations. I’m just glad the Library Association is making this a fun event, poking fun at those who would censor for the rest of us.
I’ll have to look into The Headless Cupid! I love ‘ghost stories’! I’ve read both ‘The Lovely Bones’ and ‘Beloved’ (this year) and enjoyed both! I just reached my goal of reading 5 banned books for the year during Banned Books Week! 🙂
Good job, Stacy! What were the other three books that you read this year?
I think my “favorite” from the Ban/Challenge list of 2013 & 2012 is Dav Pilkey’s “CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS”. As a mother of 3 boys I have to admit – it’s the fact that it contains “violence” and “offensive language” that makes it so darn APPEALING to elementary school boys. If boys think it’s gross & is funny boys will want to READ it. And let’s put it into perspective – it is a GRAPHIC (comic book) “novel”. Captain Underpants is NOT dropping the F bomb – he’s talking farts, burps and poop. Unfortunately, the days of Dick & Jane are PAST… and sometimes you have to just keep the cringe inside and celebrate the fact that a child is READING.
I’ve never read Captain Underpants, but I’ve seen the covers in book stores, which I thought were cute. Apparently, in addition to language, the book was banned because it encourages kids to disobey authority. Hmmm…and authority is always good?